The present invention relates to a reactor equipped with a stirrer, particularly a polymerization or polycondensation reactor wherein the stirrer is disposed in the interior of the reactor to be rotatable about an axis extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the interior, the reactor including an inlet conduit and a discharge conduit for the reaction mass, a conduit for removing gaseous substances evaporated during the reaction, and a heating device.
During polymerization, as well as during polycondensation, of monomer starting substances the volatile components of the reaction mass are evaporated under certain temperature and pressure conditions. Moreover, the reaction mass must be mixed continuously and must expose a large surface area to the reaction conditions so that a polymer of the desired quality will result. A polyamide or polyester produced in this manner is used, for example, for spun fibers or filaments.
German Published Patent Application No. 1,128,657 discloses an apparatus for the continuous polycondensation of diol esters of terephthalic acid which apparatus includes a heated reaction vessel which is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal and which is divided into various chambers by means of weirs.
Stirrer wings, which are arranged on a shaft passing through the vessel, move within these chambers. During the manufacture of the polyester to be discharged the volatile components are conducted into a standing separating column which is in communication with the vapor chamber of the reaction vessel. The inclination of the reaction vessel serves merely to produce a defined conveying direction. The problems resulting during continuous production of polyester, for example, from the removal of the volatile components to be separated are to be easily controlled in this known arrangement with its almost horizontal arrangement of the reactor vessel and with the interior subdivided into the various chambers.
The Japanese Published Patent application No. 17,248/60 discloses a plurality of embodiments for thin layer evaporators for the continuous production of polycondensates. Here, too, the reaction mass is stirred. In the reactors, which may be arranged vertically as well as in an inclined position, again for the purpose of producing a defined conveying direction, the reaction mass is conveyed either over obliquie or horizontal surfaces or it flows along the interior walls of the reactor vessel while being uniformly spread out by stirring wings.